The Business of Travel

The Official Blog of the Global Business Travel Association

Hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes don’t take travel schedules into consideration. Whether you are close to home or halfway around the world, it is important to always be prepared for when a natural disaster strikes.

When a natural disaster occurs, infrastructure will be impacted and it can take days (if not weeks) before regular operations begin to stabilize. Businesses may be closed, fallen objects may block roads, air traffic may be halted, and power may be out in your area. Here are ways you can prepare yourself for when an emergency happens, whether close to home or while traveling.

Make a plan. Be sure to have an emergency plan in place that includes contact numbers for all family members, as well as an established meeting place should you be separated or unable to return home. Take into consideration needs that are specific to your family like medication, family pets, etc. when creating a plan. If you are traveling, attempt to evacuate in advance of an impending storm if possible. Waiting until the last minute to evacuate can lead to scarce flights options, a shortage of hotel rooms, and a dearth of rental vehicles. If you are unable to evacuate, be aware of the emergency plan at the hotel, meeting room, conference center, etc. and be prepared to follow that plan if necessary.

Stay in touch. Know how to quickly get in touch with your colleagues and loved ones and make sure they know how to reach you. Maintain a coordinated communication plan if you are separated and be sure to share plans should you need to move to a new location.

Stay informed. Whether disaster strikes at home or while you are traveling, identify reputable, up-to-date news sources for the latest information. During an emergency, information can change from one minute to the next. Look to local agencies or news outlets for current response plans, closures, or evacuation information.

Prepare an emergency kit. Make sure to have a well-stocked emergency supply kit on-hand to accommodate your family for up to three days and don’t forget to prepare a kit for your car, too. If you are traveling and unable to evacuate, stock up on water, nonperishable foods, and basic first aid supplies to keep in your hotel room.

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Extended Stay Accommodations: What Travel Buyers Need to Know

The GBTA Foundation conducted a new study in partnership with WWStay to understand how travel programs approach their need for extended stay accommodations. This is a follow up to a 2015 study showing nearly half of U.S. international business travelers have used extended stay accommodations in the past 12 months, with 72 percent of Millennials having used one – more than any other age group.
These numbers clearly demonstrate that you need to be thinking about extended stay as an important part of your travel program.
What Defines an Extended Stay Business Trip?
Just over half (51 percent) of North American travel buyers who responded to the survey said they consider an extended stay trip as one that falls between 5+ to 10+ nights, while 15 percent said it is defined as 30 nights or more. Almost a quarter of respondents mentioned they did not have a set definition. While there is no set timeframe all companies must follow, what is important is that your organization create a definition for what is considered an extended stay trip. This is the first ...

Extended Stay Accommodations: Satisfaction, Preferences & Challenges

Earlier this month, GBTA released a study on extended stay accommodations in partnership with WWStay. It looked at usage patterns and preferences finding differences across generations and genders when it comes to U.S. international business travelers and also covered how extended stay accommodations fit into travel policies. This post looks into satisfaction, preferences and challenges for extended stay.
An overwhelming majority of business travelers (91 percent) are very satisfied or satisfied with their lodging experience on their last international trip of 5 days or more regardless of what type of lodging was used. Major differences are revealed however, when looking at satisfaction levels by type of extended stay accommodation, with much higher satisfaction levels at extended stay hotels (94 percent) and corporate furnished accommodations (87 percent) compared to accommodation rentals (74 percent).
The high satisfaction is not surprising, considering the hospitality industry invests heavily to ensure their customers are pleased with their visits. Satisfied customers create both the potential for a return visit and a positive review that could entice a new customer.
With nearly half of U.S. international business travelers staying ...

Millennials Most Frequently Use Extended Stay Accommodations for International Travel

The GBTA Foundation released a study yesterday in partnership with WWStay, revealing that Millennials (18-34) use extended stay accommodations more than any other group. In the past year, 72 percent of Millennials stayed at one for international business travel. In comparison, only 48 percent of Gen Xers (35-54) and an even smaller 26 percent of Baby Boomers (55+) used an extended stay accommodation during the same time period.
What exactly qualifies as an extended stay accommodation?
Here is the definition we used for the survey: An extended stay accommodation is defined as a room, house, or particular type of hotel room commonly used either for short or long-term stays. These accommodations are equipped with kitchens or kitchenettes; and may include other amenities, such as: linen, television(s), complimentary cleaning, WI-FI, etc. Extended stay accommodations include unfurnished accommodations, accommodation rentals (e.g. Airbnb, FlipKey, HomeAway, etc.), corporate furnished accommodations, and extended stay hotels.
Altogether, nearly half (48 percent) of all U.S. business travelers have used an extended stay accommodation in the past 12 months when traveling internationally for business. The study also found that U.S. based ...

Understanding Extended Stay Accommodations Role in Business Travel

In late 2015 and again earlier this year, the GBTA Foundation, in partnership with WWStay, conducted two research studies on extended stay accommodations to learn more about this market especially when it comes to business travel. The first study revealed nearly half (48 percent) of all U.S. business travelers have used an extended stay accommodation in the past 12 months when traveling internationally for business. In addition, 60 percent of business travelers who use extended stay accommodations book it themselves with many of that group booking through an online travel site (41 percent) or directly on the extended stay website (38 percent).
At GBTA Convention 2016, Rajeev Goswami, WWStay CEO, spoke with GBTA’s Caitlin Gomez about the study’s implications for the market and what WWStay is doing in this marketplace.
The 2016 follow-up study took a more qualitative approach to dive deep into the challenges travel buyers face when fulfilling extended stay accommodations as well as the duty of care implications. A recent BTN article says corporate awareness of extended-stay opportunities is on the rise and talks to various industry experts ...

How Extended Stay Accommodations Fit Into Travel Policies and What That Means for Duty of Care

Last week GBTA released a study, in partnership with WWStay, which revealed that nearly half (48 percent) of all U.S. business travelers have used an extended stay accommodation in the past 12 months when traveling internationally for business.
An intriguing finding from the study showed that 60 percent of business travelers who use extended stay accommodations book it themselves. There are various booking channels used, but that group overwhelmingly books their extended stay accommodation through an online travel site (41 percent) or directly on the extended stay website (38 percent).
Booking outside of a company tool could potentially mean the traveler is not compliant with company travel policy. More importantly, the company may not be able to locate their traveler if an emergency occurs. This is an important aspect of duty of care responsibilities for a travel buyer that can directly impact the safety of their traveler.
The large majority of our survey respondents do work for companies with managed travel programs – 47 percent said they have mandated policies and 33 percent have guidelines in place. More than half (53 percent) ...

5 Tips for Staying Healthy While Traveling

It’s no secret that when you’re away from home, fast food like McDonald’s and Dunkin often looks significantly more appealing than taking the time to find healthier options. Staying consistent with a meal plan and being active are steps to a healthy lifestyle that you shouldn’t have to compromise on while on business travel.
Now, there’s no harm in treating yourself every once in a while, to your favorite sugary Frappuccino or donuts, but its best done in moderation. Many restaurants – including fast food spots – make a point now of indicating healthier choices on their menu making your decisions easier even when you are in a rush as well. In a recent Twitter chat, we asked our followers to share their top tips for staying committed to diet and exercise on the road. Here are the top five:
1 - Pick a local restaurant and walk there instead of taking a cab.
2 - Look into trying ClassPass or similar subscription-based fitness memberships you can use in many different cities.
3 - Take an early morning walk around the city you're visiting.
4 ...